91 Silhouettes
However, the deafening shout from Gregory the Giant reverberated in their bones, giving the rest who had stayed courage to charge in.
Still it was difficult to see with only the torches as well as the bonfire; the darkness also made it difficult to gauge how many humanoid silhouettes that had beasts heads were there exactly behind the trees.
Ery drew his sword raised and kept calm. After all, he had been to the Magus Academy, seen absurd magical creatures, spent ti with a dragon for six months, even he, himself, had a transformation relating to his Fey bloodline. He didn't charge in though because the duty assigned to him was to protect his employer, Luna. Not to ntion, Ery felt a faint connection to these n with beast heads, as if he knew them for so reason. Although that was what he felt, it didn't stop the humanoid with a beast head to try and stab him with a bone spear.
The bone spear sliced into the air with great speed and power; Ery twisted his neck, dodging it barely. This half-human, half-beast clearly was a cut above the large marauder he had fought in the rundown house back in Lionarch. Still, that was before and this was now. Ery had improved several points in battle power due to the increase of his spirit force, which ant his overall speed, strength and endurance couldn't be compared to his previous fighting prowess from before.
Ery deflected the bone spear, and when he saw an opening, he quickly struck the beastman with the blunt hilt of his sword. The beastman collapsed on the ground. Ery then grabbed the head of the beastman but the head slipped, revealing that these half-human, half-beast were in fact humans in beasts clothings!
"They're humans!" exclaid Ery, raising the deflated beast head.
The remaining paid fighters and guards beca fiercer because it wasn't as they had initially had thought. These weren't monsters, rather, these were savage people with tattoos wearing animal carcasses to strike fear into their hearts and minds of the ordinary people. Still, even though the paid fighters and guards fought harder and regained so of their spirit, it was a fact that these savages were ferocious warriors who were as strong as knights of a kingdom, probably stronger based on Ery's estimation.
The fighting stopped, giving them a room for breather. Kastan imdiately took command and arranged those who were injured to be inside the circle formation..
"What are they?" shouted one of the wounded paid fighters.
"They're like more of a beast and not human! How co they strike so hard and so fast?"
"There are so many of them also."
"Sister Luna…" said Silas. Before he could say more words though, Luna ran to him and gave him a big hug.
She took him by the shoulders and looked at him with teary eyes but that didn't last long as her affectionate gaze was imdiately replaced by an angry glare. Luna said, "Silas! You shouldn't have co here!"
"But Sister... I am the man of the family! It is my duty, my job to—"
"Fool, that's what you are!" Luna sighed. She added in a calr tone, "Regardless of your intentions, it is not wise to co here not prepared. You should know that! I have been so worried…"
"I am sorry sister Luna…" said Silas, almost in a whisper.
"We need to head back to town as soon as possible. We can return here once we are ready," remarked Luna. She turned to Kastan and said, "We are leaving now"
"But Luna, I—"
The loud hum echoed again. And this ti, the ground seed to tremble as well as the silhouettes of the savages wearing different kinds of animal heads ran in circles around them behind the trees.
Silas spat on the ground and said, "These damned Chrutin! Can't they just leave us be in peace?"
That word caught Ery's attention. Chrutin, it was the sa word that Fantumar had called him just a day before his family's estate had been raided by Padraig's marauders. Actually, he had asked several travelers he had t on the way, including the forr residents of Mistshire, however, not one of the people he had inquired seed to know what the word ant. Now, however, he inferred that Chrutin referred to these people they were fighting with and he had blood of a Chrutin, which his late-father had confird.
Ery's view of this battle changed. He hadn't fully decided yet on what his next course of action would be, but he decided to at least show he was enacting his duty while being careful to not kill any of these so-called Chrutins.
Silently, Ery used his understanding of the elents, particularly the plant and earth elents. From the vibrations on the ground and disturbed energies of the branches and shrubs. He estimated they would be facing about an equal number of Chrutins with the people he had co with. It was also a no-brainer for him to understand that if these Chrutins ca to take their lives, their chances of survival were close to none.
Kastan stood before Luna and Silas, and said, "Don't fear! Circle formation, guards! We will hold them off by keeping the formation tight!"
He then looked at Asur and ordered. "Light another torch and throw it on the ground."
"Kastan, do you think we can win?" asked Luna, her face brightened by the growing fire, providing lighting in the area.
"Don't worry, Ms. Luna. Please just stay close to ," said Kastan.
The fighting started with waves of arrows and spears being thrown at the expedition group but the guards made sure to protect everyone with their large shields. After the wave of spears ended, the Chrutins then proceeded to charge at them with lee weapons.
Gregory the Giant pushed one of the guards and went in front, swinging his mace crazily. However, the reaction tis of the Chrutins he had swung his mace toward managed to dodge his attacks. One of the Chrutins got close to Gregory but Ery had noticed it and deflected the bone spear with the sword on his left hand.
Chaos ensued, similar to their situation from earlier. Ery managed to parry and counter with the hilt of his sword the incoming attacks from the Chrutin, saving Gregory countless tis. He then went around their circle formation, as ordered by Kastan, to fend off the other Chrutins and knocked them out one by one.
Although Ery decided not to kill these people, that wasn't the case for so of his current comrades, especially Gregory smashing the heads of the Chrutins who had been knocked out by Ery.
"You sure are a great fighter, rlin. But don't show rcy! It's kill or be killed!" Gregory then continued screaming and swinging his mace in hope of finding more Chrutins to smash.
Ery retreated back in the circle and observed their surroundings. There were around forty people after the rging of the brother and sister's forces, but a dozen of these n were beginning to take injuries and so ended up dead, particularly paid fighters Ery had co with while the soldiers in the white and gray uniforms kept their ranks and protected Luna and Silas.
The fighting abilities of these guards by the Quintin family were better than Ery had initially thought. Especially the head guard, Kastan. His fighting abilities could possibly match the strongest knight Lionesse Yvain.
With the help of his understanding of the elents, Ery felt disturbance of the scrub behind a line of trees. It looked like there were still a lot of Chrutin warriors staying hidden. While fighting with his sword, Ery realized the Quintin's guards were moving bit by bit. And based on the direction they were heading toward, he figured they were planning to break through the line of trees wherein Ery had felt the disturbance.
Ery jumped and rushed to the group of guards who were about to break through.
"Miss. Luna! Don't go there!"
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